Sectional post lock for loose leaf binders



Sept. 14, 1948. w. SHODA SECTIONAL POST LOOK FOR LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS Filed July 20, 1946 ZSheetS-Sheet -1 INVENTOR. Mm'mp SHODA.

Filed July 20, 1946 W. SHODA SECTIONAL POST LOCK FOR LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS Sept. 14, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BYv WALTER IN V EN TOR.

SH 013A Patented Sept. 14, 1948 2,449,331 sncrlonan rostrtoon 110R. noosnsnmn.

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was; Shoda, st. AlhanseN Yr. Application Ju xfid, 194e,'; se ia1no. 685,253

tic'nlargto one' providing a ctior' that is locked Tironi ture an -which a-= minirrium-numbenof parts are employedfor carriving out *the ope'ration of lockingthe- -partsivto'gethen; releasing I said parts and renderingthedevice 'foolproofi" For furthercomprehension of the invention; and'i'of :the objects' and advantage's thereof-, rep erence will be had to 17HefO11oWirigdescription and. accompanying drawings; and totheappend ed cl'aimstin wliichrtheivarious novel features ofthewinventioni are. more particularly set forth. a In-ith'e:accompanying drawings forming.- amaterial part'.=o this:disclosurea: Fig. i1tis af viewiin-rs'ide elevation of a. loose leaf binder showing the adaptation thereto of the improved lockingmeanss' Fig, 2..is.a view in perspeetivemofflthetubular clamping members shown in assembled eontacting relation.

Fig. 3 isia'ksectiononzthe line ,3--31of Fig. 2, an opened position of one of the clamping members being sliown in outline. isa view-imperspectiverof the; bottom clamp me'rnben- Fig. 5 is a view in cross section, similar to Fig. 4, but showing the guide posts and adjusting screw in full lines.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the lock strip employed in the upper tubular clamping member.

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the locking strip illustrated in Fig. 6 in the position it assumes when the clamps are held together in locked relation.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the position assumed by the lock strip when the clamps are released.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in section of the l 2? lock strip adjllsting screwshown in .the posi tiongit occupies:whenfin a locked condition.

Fig; 10pis a viewt similar to 'Fig. Qshowing the adjustingscrew in an ur'ilocked conditionn Fig.-11is a view simila-rtdFig. 10 but show: ing the deviceprioi' to; the; insertion and riveting Of ,the'ipini i v v Fig.; 12 is aview in; perspective of fa modified form 101 wedging plate {that-may. be used; in com nection with the locking strip;

Referring to the drawings in e detail, IO-findicatesa clamping member-comprising upper and lower portions lland ITrespectively. The up: per portion; II, as well as theiower portion;, is shaped to provide-a fiat tubular clamp of hole low rectangular 'form injfthe upper surface of h eh is r sd p t memes; J'aQ t oppos e ends-thereot and-intermediate said post openings a hole It through which passes freely; the-threaded; body l5- of "an; adjusting, screw j 6;

Th threaded' body -I 5--ofgthe screw has threaded engagement with-a collar l'l'fweldedor otherwise secured to the underside of a-lock-strip IIBEat the center}t'liereofi' The lock stripfis madefrom a piece of highly tempered-flexible metal positioned within and bearingagainst the underside of the top of the upper housing orclampl I 'and.-extend ingi-"lengthwise-thereofbetween said post holes] 3.-

The strip; intermediate its opposite; endsand the central "threaded opening 19* thereof, is latorally-ridged as at-[ZU to provide a fulcrum at opposite sides; of the adiustingscrew IS, the outerends, bf 'the dock" strip; having IOOSBIY'TSG cured thereto, as by rivets' 2l; thewedge or fric' tion pla-tes '22 each of which 'isprovided with afiangediouter edge; 2 3 {having a -notch-23 therein and an opening 2 4 which is arranged to encom-v pass -a---post"-25' when the wedge'plate 22*is'rest ing in" itsinclinedposition; as illustrated in-Fig; 32-1 The posts 25 which may" be made in sections; are-fixed in-the bottom f thelower clamping member l2 and extend through openings 25 in the upper surface thereof.

The rising of the outer free ends of the lock strip is will bring the wedging plates 22 to horizontal position so that the openings 24 therein will move out of contact with the diametrically opposite sides of the posts 25 to permit the clamp H to be lifted off said posts. When the locking strip is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the outer ends thereof will be in their locked position. The flange 23 on the outer end of each wedge plate supports the latter in an inclined or oblique position so that the opposite sides of the opening 24 in each plate frictionally engages the opposite sides of the post 25 passing therethrough and prevents the removal of the clamping member I I from the posts 25.

As is well understood in these devices, the clamping elements I l and I2 are usually incorporated in the inner sides of covers 26 which form a binder for loose leaf pages 2'! which are passed over the posts 25. These records are usually of a confidential natureand it is desired'that they be effectively locked in the book in which they are bound, the locking screw it being permanently associated with the book. The looking or adjusting screw it is preferably made, as best shown in Fig. 10, of a threaded portion [5, the lower end of which is reduced to provide a pin 3| which is rotatively received in an aperture 32, in the bottom wall of the clamp H, the end of the pin being peened over to hold the locking screw in place. The upper end of the locking screw has a reduced pin 3| which tightly fits in an aperture provided in a disc IS, the outer peripheral rim of which is knurled to provide a finger grip surface. Body portion 15 of the locking screw is threaded in the locking strip l8 and its collar II. The locking screw is rotated to raise the locking strip to its upper position, as shown in Fig. 9, for locking the device. By turning the locking screw in the opposite direction, locking strip 18 is flexed downwardly, as shown in Fig. 10, to turn wedge plates 22 to horizontal position to unlock the clamps in the manner described above.

In a modified form of the structure the wedge plates 33 are each formed to provide an opening 34 and a solid lip or flanged portion 35 which permits the wedge plate to assume a, horizontal posi tion when the lock strip is operated.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, upper and lower clamp members, posts extending from the lower clamp and passing through said upper clamp, a flexible strip in said upper clamp, perforated wedge plates connected to the opposite ends of said strip and through the perforations in which said posts pass, means for positioning said plates obliquely whereby the posts are frictionally engaged by the diametrically opposite edges of the perforations to lock the clamp members together, means for flexing said strip to move the plates from oblique to horizontal positions to free said posts and said locking strip bein ridged at opposite sides of said flexing means to provide fulcrums whereby the 00 opposite outer ends of said strip move vertically to move said plates.

2. In a loose leaf binder, upper and lower clamp members, posts extending from the lower clamp and passing through said upper clamp, a flexible strip in said upper clamp, perforated wedge plates connected to the opposite ends of said strip and through the perforations in which said posts pass, means for positioning said plates obliquely whereby the posts are frictionally engaged by the diametrically opposite edges of the perforations to lock the clamp members together, said strip being normally in flexed position to retain the plates in oblique locking position, adjustable means for flexing said strip to move the plates from oblique locking position to free said posts, said strip flexing means comprising a screw and a threaded collar on said strip through which the screw passes and said locking strip being ridged at opposite sides of said flexing means to provide fulcrums whereby the opposite outer ends of said strip move vertically to move said plates.

3. In a loose leaf binder, upper and lower clamps, posts extending from the lower clamp and passing through said upper clamp, a flexible strip in said upper clamp, perforated wedge plates having edges loosely connected to the opposite ends of said flexible strip, said post also passing through the perforations of said wedge plates, means for positioning said plates obliquely where by the posts are frictionally engaged by'the diametrically opposite edges of the perforations to lock the clamps together, said strip being normally inv flexed position to retain the plates in oblique locking position, adjustable means for flexing said strip to move the plates from oblique locking position to free said posts, said strip flexingmeans comprising a screw and a threaded collar on said strip through which the screw passes, said upper clamp having an opening formed in the bottom thereof, said screw having a reduced lower end portion disposed within said opening and freely rotatable therein, means on said screw cooperating with said upper clamp to prevent detachment of said screw from said'upper clamp, said wedge plate positioning means comprising a lip on the edge of each of said wedge plates opposite the edges of which are loosely connected to the ends of. said flexible strip, said flexible strip being ridged onv opposite sides of said flexing means to provide fulcrums whereby the opposite outer ends of said flexible strip will move vertically to move said wedge plates.

1 WALTER SHO-DA;

REFERENCES CITED The following'references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Nankeruis Aug. 17, 1926 

